Buckle.



PATBNTED MAR. 1o, 1903.

J. P. HUNT.

BUCKLE.

APPLIoATIoN FILED JUNE 2'8, 1902.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEECE.

JAMES PORTER HUNT, OF MAITLAND, MISSOURI.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 722,511, datedgMarch10, 1903. Application filed June 28| 1902. Serial No. 113,595. (Nomodel.)

to secure together portions of harness for draft-animals, andparticularly to such as are employed for adjusting the length of tracesor tug-straps, and has for its object tov provide a buckle of improvedconstruction which isV readily adj usted to lengthen or shorten atug-strap, which dispenses with perforations in the strap, as is usualwhen buckles havingtonguesare employed, and is applicable to strapsofvarious Widths and thicknesses.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination ofparts, as is hereinafter described, and delinedin the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis speciiicaticn, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan View of the buckle applied for holding two portionsof a strap together. Fig. 2 is a partly-sectional side view of the samesubstantially on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transversesectional view substantially on the line 3 3 in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is aperspective View of a clampingplate that is a novel detail ofconstruction.

In the drawings, 5 and 5a indicate the two ends of a tug-strap.connected by the improved buckle, the latter comprising the'followingdetails. A

An outer rectangular clamping-plate 6 is provided, having two similarguide-Iianges 7 formed on opposite side edges of the plate,

these iianges defining the maximum width ofA a strap upon which thebuckle may be applied. At the longitudinal center of the clamping-plate6 two spacing-posts 8 are formed, respectively at the side edges thereof, said posts being so connected at their outer ends with theclamping-plate that, they do not obstruct the space between the' ianges7. Another clamping-plate 9 is loosely held adclamping-plates 6 and 9are spaced from each other by contact of the ears 9a with the free edgesof the guide-flanges 7, said edges being convex, and thus permit theplate 9 to rock thereon to alimited degree.

./.Xbase-plate 10 isvheld parallel with the outer clamping-plate 6 andtransverselyV of the same by its secured connection with thespacing-posts V8,Y perforated bosses v1O-'being preferably formed on theinner surface of the base'plate,.through which fthe ends of the postsare'passed and secured therein by riveting or other means. Thebase-plate lO is substantially rectangular, but is rounded on thecorners, ,as shown,'and is so proportioned thatit textends a properdistance at each side of the clamping-plates 6 and 9, these extendedportions each having a transverse slot 10b formed therein, said slotsadapting the baseplate for secured connection with harnessstraps-such,lfor example, as the back-strap Aand belly band or strap B.

Two similar cam-levers are employed as means 'for connectingthe twotug-strap portions 5 ',58, each lever, comprising two members 11 12,said members being pivoted together,'as shown ata in Figs. 1 and 2. Acoupling-bar 13, consisting of a straight metal rod having short arms 13at its ends, is secured upon the portion 5 of the tug-strap, and thearms 13 are pivoted, as at b, upon the adjacent ends of the levermembers 1l. Upon the other ends of the lever members 12 similar circularenlargements 12a are formed, these formations being centrally perforatedto loosely receive the posts 8 before the latter are secured to thebase-plate 10. A spiral wedge or cam face c is formed on eachenlargement 12;upon the side surface nearest to a respective ear 9a,and,las shown'in Figs. 2 and Il, a corresponding cam-face c is formed onthe face ofthe ear that contacts with the cam-face c. The cam-surfaces cc are soV arranged that when the lever members 11 12 are flexed at theirjoints so as to dispose them as represented by dotted lines in Fig. lthe low IOO portions of said opposed cam-faces will be locatedoppositely, and this will correspondingly relax cam-pressure on theclamping.

6 and 9 may be freely slid endwise, and thus,

be adjusted to a desired point. Obviously the flat surfaces of the camformations c, that are opposite from the spiral cam-surfaces, will bearagainst the true ends of the bosses 10', which latter may, if preferred,be in the shape of washers instead of being integral with the base-plate10. When stress is applied to the portion 5 of the strap, so as to pullit away from the other portion 5, the cam-lever members 1l l2 will beinstantly drawn upon and extended, as shown in Fig. l. It will be seenthat the application of draft strain on either portion of the tug-strapwhile the other portion is held stationary will rock the cam-faces c, sothat their highest portions will have bear- .ings upon the high portionsof the cam-faces c, and consequently the inner clamping-plate 9 will beforcibly pressed upon the tug-strap member 5, clamping the latteragainst the other clam ping-plate 6 in an obvious manner. In use if thetug or other strap members that are to be connected together by theimproved buckle are too thin to be properly clamped and held this may bereadily compensated for by the insertion of a liner of any suitablematerial between either clampingplate and the member of the tug-strapwhich said plates are to grip and hold, as this means will so thickenthe strap where it occupies the buckle as to adaptthe latter to forciblyclamp the strap member and liner, thereby holding the portions of thetug-strap reliably connected together.

Having described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patentl. A buckle comprising two clampingplates, posts on oneplate, loosely engaging the other plate, two levers, and cams on an endof each lever, which by rocking adjustment press the clamping-platestoward each other.

2. A buckle, comprising two clampingplates, two posts on one plateloosely engaging the other plate, two jointed levers, anda cam formationon one end of each lever, said levers receiving support from the posts,the cams when turned around on the posts pressing one clamping-platetoward the other plate.

3. A buckle comprising two clampingplates, two posts on one platepassing looselyr through openings in edges of the other plate, twolevers each comprising two members pivoted together, a spiral cam-on oneend of each lever, said cams having rocking engagement with the posts,and two similar cam formations on opposite edges of one clamping-plate,the cams on the levers engaging the cams on the plate and pressing saidplate toward the other plate when the levers are drawn upon,

so as to rock the cams thereon.

4. A buckle, comprising two clampingplates, two posts at the side edgesof one of the clamping-plates and engaged loosely by ears on the otherclam pin g-plate, a base-plate secured opposite to and parallel with theclamping-plates by fixture on the ends of the posts, cam formations onthe ears on one of the clamping-plates, two levers, each comprising twomembers pivoted together, a couplingebar pivoted upon like ends of twoof the lever members, and spiral cam formations on the ends of the twoother lever members mounted on the posts, and adapted to press the camson one clamping-plate so as to move said plate toward the oppositeclampingplate, when the levers are extended by a pull on thecoupling-bar.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specication in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES PORTER HUNT.

Witnesses:

CHARLES D. WELLER, f ERNEST F. WELLER.

